Matters Of The Heart
by Nikki14u
Summary: Sometimes life forces you to look back on your mistakes and the pain and suffering you’ve caused others. These times are extremely difficult especially when that person is your own brother.
1. You Should Have Told Me

**Summary: Sometimes life forces you to look back on your mistakes and the pain and suffering you've caused others. These times are extremely difficult especially when that person is your own brother.**

**This story takes place mid season three.**

**Teaser**

"_We're not brothers any more, hell we're not even friends"_

He regretted those words now more then ever as he looked down at the still form of his brother as he lay beneath the white hospital sheets. The blond haired boy was hooked up to various machines unable to breathe on his own or respond to those around him. The star shooting guard never felt more helpless, angry or afraid in all his life but yet all he could do at the moment was cry and even that was suddenly requiring too much energy.

Part of him was pissed at not only his brother for being so reckless with his life but with his wife as well for allowing him to. How could she keep his siblings condition from him for so long? How could she continue to let her best friend risk his life for a game that would ultimately put him on life support and damage his heart so badly that he would need a heart transplant?

"Nathan" a voice called out to him. He instantly knew who it was and did his best to remain calm.

"Get out" he demanded coldly not even bothering to look in her direction. He just wanted her to leave before things got heated and he lost his temper which he was already in danger of losing just at the sound of her voice.

"Nathan please, don't do this" she pleaded through tears. She knew that he would be angry and hurt but she wasn't prepared for him to be so cold and distant.

"Do what?" he spoke through clenched teeth.

"Shut me out, please let me help you through this" she said placing a hand on his should that he roughly brushed off.

"Help me?" he said looking at his brother before turning to her. "Like you helped Lucas"

"That's not fair and you know it Nathan. Lucas is my best friend and…"

The girl was cut of by the cruel laughter of the man who she loved. She had never seen him like this before and quite frankly it scared her.

"Well some friend you are. My brother's going to die because of you" he said raising his voice. He couldn't help it. He was in so much pain and was so angry at her, at the whole damn situation that he couldn't contain his hostility.

"Because of me? I didn't do this to him Nathan. Lucas had a heart attack this wasn't anybody's fault and if you would just listen"

"Are you kidding me! I just watched my brother have a heart attack while playing a game that he was obviously willing to die for. I watched him grab his chest and cry out in pain before going into convulsions and turning blue. I saw the pain in his face and the red veins in his eyes the pain was so intense that they were practically popping out of his head. I was forced to remember every fucking thing I've ever done to him, every fight we've had and every vicious word I ever spoke came back to haunt me tonight. My God do you have any idea how that felt?"

"Yeah I do Nate because I was there too! I saw what happened and it scared the hell out of me. Every since we were nine years old it's just been us against the world and when I saw this, when I saw him…I…" the girl wanted to continue but she couldn't. The words became stuck in her throat and just wouldn't come out. She wanted to stay and plead her case to her husband but with everything that was going on it was just too much for her to handle all at once. Instead she left the room in tears as he watched on without moving an inch.

He didn't move or even attempt to go after her because he was too angry. His brother's life was slipping away and she was just as much to blame as he was. She should have told someone about the boy's heart condition because he was too stubborn to. So what he would have been angry at her for a while but at least he would still be alive instead of laying in a hospital bed fighting for his life. Sure he didn't really know Lucas all that long but he was still his older brother. Even when they were fighting at least he knew he was around and that he was able to see his face and knew that he was ok. There was always that comfort of knowing that he was around, that he would always be around.

"Why?" he asked the still form lying before him. "Why did you lie to me Luke? Why didn't you tell me? Why didn't you quit the team?" he said becoming more and more angry. "You're such an asshole you know that? What the hell is wrong with you? Why did you think that basketball was more important then your life?" he screamed unable to hold back as more tears slid down his face.

"Why did you think that I would be ok without you? How could you do this to me? How could you die and leave me here all alone?" he said a little softer then his original outburst. "Please come back. I need you, please come back" he sobbed as he took hold of his brother's hand and rested his head on the side of the bed.

"It's ok Nate" a soft yet shaken voice spoke to him as the person held him tightly.

"No it's not. It's not ok" he replied through tears. "Not until he wakes up, not until I have my brother back"

"We'll get him back Nathan. I promise you. Lucas will come back to us. We just have to be strong for him and be patient and have faith" Karen spoke as she felt the presences of someone else in the room. She then glanced over in the direction of the doorway to find the one person both she and Nathan never expected to see.


	2. The Two Faces Of Dan

**Chapter 1**

The sound of his own heart pounding sounded loudly in his ears as he fixed his eyes upon the newest visitor to his brother's room. It was the asshole that was responsible for everything wrong in the lives of he and his older sibling and today was no exception. In fact part of him wondered if he too knew of his brother's condition and didn't care enough to say anything about it but right now he was in a semi state of shock. He couldn't believe this. The nerve it took for this man to show his face in his brother's hospital room when he had abandoned the boy and tormented him for months was exceptional. In fact he blamed him for all the hate that had manifested it's self between he and his brother all those years ago wasting precious moments that the two could have shared or rather should have shared together as brothers.

If it wasn't for the current state of Lucas's Mom he would have cursed that mother fucking out right then and there and would have happily sent him flying into the room across the hall but he had to keep it together, for Karen's sake. Besides his father was Mayor now and would no doubt press charges against him if he assaulted the man in any way and being in jail and separated from his brother right now was not an option for him. He was foolish enough to let Dan come in between them twice before and there was no way in hell he was about to let it happen again. But he did need to get the man out of there and seeing as how Karen couldn't even say anything let along remove him from their sight it was up to him to handle the problem and keep him from saying or doing anything to upset the woman more then his mere presence already had.

The second born son of Dan Scott stood up and walked over to the man with his fist clenched so tightly that his knuckles where white from the lack of circulation. He already kicked one person out of the room already and she happened to be his wife so taking on his bastard of a father was going to be no sweat at all.

"You need to leave right now" he said as he looked into the eyes of the monster that raised him and tortured his brother.

"Sorry son but I don't take order from you. Now get out of the way or I'll have you removed"

"Why do you want to get in here anyway? We all know you hated Lucas, so what, did you come here to gloat?" the boy said as he advanced on his father. It only angered him more when the man had the audacity to crack a smile.

"Isn't this sweet" the man began as he took the seat closet to the door. "Nathan is standing up for his big brother. A brother whom mind you tried to stick a knife in the back of his own father" the man said as he crossed his legs and made himself comfortable, showing now signs of leaving.

"Who wouldn't after the way you treated him? Oh and by the way don't get too comfortable because you'll be leaving soon either on your own or by force"

"Wow, you are really putting on a show for your bastard sibling aren't you?" the man replied surly as the woman he once loved flinched. "Hey, where was that brotherly love when he tried to help you and your mother escape big bad Dan" he said knowing that he was getting under his son's skin. "I happen to know for a fact that he came to you on several occasions trying to make nice with you so you boys could be brothers again but you shot him down, didn't cha Nate? You turned your back on him, you fought with him, you called him names, you know like the good old days. Hey remember that night at the beach house, you know the one where you played that tape of me and Karen's homecoming. I believe you called it the comic relief of the night"

"Shut up, shut your mouth and get the hell out of here before I permanently shut if for you" threatened Nathan as he forced his father to his feet and pushed him towards the door. He had already relieved their past years of hell already so he sure as hell didn't need an instant replay from his father.

"Nathan, stop it" Karen finally spoke as rose to her feet and pulled Nathan back.

"Come on, just let me wipe that smug grin off his face" the boy said trying to make his way around the petite woman.

"Don't worry about it son, I'm going. Oh and please make sure you tell Haley I said hi, would you?" the man added, taking one last dig at his son before exiting the room.

Suddenly it felt as if the world around him was closing in on him. He had to get out of there and get some air before he blew a gasket which was the last thing Karen or Lucas needed.

"I have to go" he announced abruptly before grabbing his jacket.

"Nathan please don't let Dan force you into doing something that you'll regret" pleaded Karen.

"I'll be back soon Luke" the boy replied without acknowledging the woman's request.

Moving to stand in front of him the woman took hold of his arms and forced him to look at her. "I know how you feel right now. You want to go to Dan and rip his got damn head off and trust me I'm not too high on the guy myself right now but we have to be here for Lucas and if we go after Dan, he'll win and then who will your brother have left"

As much as he hated to admit it Karen was right. Going after Dan right now would be a huge mistake and knowing his father the way he did he knew that this was exactly what the vulture wanted.

"I won't go after him Karen. It's just that he knows just how to get to me and no matter how hard I try not to let him win, I end up falling for it every time and I'm just so pissed right now that I have to go for a walk and clear my head"

The woman looked at him with uncertainty and concern in her eyes not really sure whether or not she should let the boy out of her sight. After all she had to be there for him now that his mother had left town she just hoped that he would do the right thing.

"Ok. Well umm visiting hours are going to be over soon anyway so when you get back you can meet me in the waiting room, alright"

"Yeah, I'll catch you later"

"Bye Nate" replied Karen before she returned to her son's bed side.

* * *

The walk had done him a great deal of good as the younger Scott boy made his way back to the hospital. His breathing had finally returned to normal and he was feeling less stressed and angry then he was a half hour ago and now he was fully capable of being the brother that Lucas needed. As he approached the sliding doors a familiar figure came into view. He instantly recognized the dark haired girl as Brooke Davis, his brother's girlfriend.

"Brooke?" he called out as the girl turned around to face him.

"Hey. I…I…" she fumbled her words as her mascara ran down her cheeks. He could tell she was a total wreck and was probably wondering if Lucas was ok. "How is he Nate?" she question without looking into his eyes. He guessed that part of her had a bad feeling about the whole situation and knew that if she looked into his eyes the answer to her question would be evident in them

"I'm not going to lie to you Brooke, it's pretty bad"

"How bad?"

"If Luke" he began but stopped short as he took in the girl's rattled condition. He knew it was going to be hit her hard and thought that it would be best if she were sitting when he delivered the news. "umm I think maybe we should go inside"

"No, I can't"

"Brooke…"

"No Nathan I can't see him like that and I don't think my heart could handle it if I did"

"Well listen visiting hours are over now so we can sit in the waiting room so you don't have to see and I can let you know what's going on"

"So it's that bad that you want me to sit down. Is that it?" she said as her bottom lip started to quiver.

"Come on" he said passing an arm around her should. "Let's go inside"

* * *

He crept quietly into the room and shut the door behind him being careful not to off set the silence around him. He then walked slowly over to the motionless, blond boy with his knees shaking and threatening to give way. He didn't deserve this. No one did. No matter how much his betrayal had stung he was still his child, his first born son. The boy was so young and had so much more life left to live and so much to give to the world that seeing him like this broke the man's heart in two. He felt powerless to do anything to ease the boy's suffering and that hurt him the most. The one time the boy needed him the most there wasn't a damn thing he could do to help.

There were no strings to pull, no favors to call in and no amount of money in the world was going to help him right now. For the first time in his life the man was no more important then any one else in the world and this threw in into a state of total disarray. Knowing that there was nothing he could do right now he tried to do the only thing that felt right at the moment. He began to make the boy was as comfortable as possible. He fixed the bed sheets around him and fluffed up the pillows behind him. He then felt his forehead to check his temperature and make sure that the room wasn't too hot for him. When all was said and done and the man had accomplished all that he could the man planted a kiss on the boy's head and took a seat at his bed side before taking hold of his hand.

Staring into the boy's face the man noticed just how peaceful and angelic he looked. There were no signs of pain or distress on the boy's features that so remarkably mirrored his own and he was grateful for that. At least he wasn't in any pain and from what he had heard about the collapse the young man had experienced more then his share the second that his heart decided to betray him.

It was a pain that he knew all too well and would have never wished on anybody, especially him. But in a way he did, didn't he?

He should have put an end to the boy's basketball days a long time ago but yet he didn't. No, he had allowed this to happen and if Lucas died he would only have himself to blame. If he wasn't so damn spiteful and cold hearted then his first born son wouldn't be in this mess. He would happy going to games and hanging out with his friends and his brother instant of lying here in a hospital bed waiting for death to claim his soul.

How could he have let this happen? To his own child none the less.

All of sudden he couldn't hold back the amount of pain he was feeling. He couldn't hide his emotions any more and even if his son didn't hear him it was time the truth came out. For once in his life it was time for Dan Scott to own up to his mistakes and confession the one thing he had been holding back for all these years.

"I'm so…so…sorry son" the man spoke slowly as he struggled to catch his breath.

"I should have stopped you. I should have…I should have pulled you out of the game the second I found out" he said as tears fell from his eyes for the first time in his adult life. "If you can hear me Luke, please know that I didn't mean for this to happen. And that…I…I…love you son" the finished before placing his face in his hands and crying until there were no more tears left to give.


	3. Images He'll Never Forget

**Chapter 2**

When he opened his eyes the next morning he was instantly blinded by the morning sunlight that shun in through the large glass window he had fallen asleep in front of the night before. As the young man tried to collect himself he blinked a few times as he raised a hand to shield his eyes from the glare and attempt to relieve the slight throbbing in his head. Once his sight was fully regained and he was able to get a better view of his surroundings Nathan Scott was hit with visions and images of the night before that he would much rather forget.

His mind held illustrations of his older sibling as the boy became more and more winded and unsteady as he ran down the basketball court of Tree Hill High. He then remember witnessing a look of confusion and pain come over the boys face as he suddenly lost interest in the ball he was dribbling and the game he was participating in. Next he watched the blond male take hold of his arm as if he had just been shot before his hand made its way to his heart and grabbed onto it tightly as he crashed to the ground and starting screaming out in pain.

Last night was indeed the night from hell and only got worse as it went along forcing pictures into the boy's head that he would never forget as long as he lived.

_**Flashback**_

"_Lucas" Nathan called out as he ran across the gym to his brother's side._

"_Nate"_

"_It's ok Luke. I'm right here man. Everything's going to be just fine"_

"_Pain…ha…heart" the teenager barely choked out as his eyes involuntarily slammed shut due to the amount of pain he was experiencing._

"_Don't worry about it bro, the ambulance is on its way. Just hang in there" he said trying to get his brother to relax as much as possible. Although he wasn't sure of exactly what was going on he did know that it wasn't anything good._

"_Can't…it…it…hurts…so…much"_

"_Yes you can Luke. Just stay with me, alright? Whatever you do don't go towards any light ok. Light equals bad, very, very bad"_

_Off his words Nathan could see his brother smile as much as his condition would allow and this put his mind at ease. That was until the situation went from bad to worse._

_Out of no where his brother bolted up into a sitting position and screamed so loudly that the floor and everything around him shook. His eyes were wider then Nathan ever thought humanly possible and they were splattered with red veins. The sudden movement and blood curdling screams of his older sibling caused the younger Scott to fall backwards in shock. He was completely frighten and taken off guard by the events unfolding before his eyes and was powerless to do anything about it. _

_He knew that he should have had his arms wrapped tightly around his brother, comforting him as much as he could but his body wouldn't allow him to._

_His limbs were frozen by his emotional distress as he struggled to move while he continued to watch his brother's pain in horror. Although his body refused to budge his mind was racing a thousand miles per minute trying to will the rest him to take some sort of action. Once his muscles obeyed his command Nathan cautiously returned to his brother's side and began to reach out to him. He was about to gather him into his arms but was forced to stop when the boy's body violently jerked back causing his head to hit the hard wood floors with a sickening thud before he was thrown into convulsions. _

_Pushing his fear aside the boy's younger brother kneeled behind him and lifted his upper body off of the floor as a stunned group of students, parents and faulty members looked on. Haley was now on her knees next to him, sitting as closely as she could but just out of arms length to make sure she wasn't hit by the boy's wildly thrashing limbs. Which they would later find out was due to a seizer. _

"_Its ok big brother" Nathan spoke through tears as he held Lucas close. "You're going to be just fine. You have to be" he continued as his voice cracked. _

_Looking up he saw a police officers arrive on the scene followed by two medical professionals._

"_Please step back son" said one of the men as the other helped him to his feet._

"_Please" the boy replied "He's my brother. You have to help him" he continued never once taking his eyes off his sibling._

"_We'll do our best son but we're going to need some information from you"_

"_I need to be with my brother" said Nathan as he tried to fight his way around the man in front of him._

"_Listen I know you're worried about him but these questions are important and we need them answered in order to assist him"_

"_Ok, sure. Anything"_

"_Good. I need to know if he has any existing medical problems or maybe an allergy to something"_

"_Umm, yeah, he's highly allergic to peanuts and shell fish"_

"_Ok, now do you know if he cam in contact with any of those things tonight?"_

"_No not that I know of. The only thing he complained about was his heart. He said his heart hurt"_

"_Actually Nathan there is something both of you need to know" the soft yet shaken voice of his wife spoke._

"_No there isn't Haley. Besides I know my brother and if there were anything else I think I'd know about it" he snapped more out of fear then anger._

_That's when she turned her attention to other male, careful to avoid his own glare of confusion and spoke the words that he never wanted to hear._

"_Lucas has HCM"_

_**End Of Flashback**_

The words had cut him deeper then any knife ever could and hurt twice as bad. He should have known that Lucas was lying about his condition seeing as how there was a fifty-fifty chance that one of them had it. It should have been obvious when his test came back negative.

_What kind of brother didn't know when his own sibling was lying?_

To make matters worse he knew that the medication associated with the heart disease slowed down a person'sperformance so he should have picked up on the change in his brother's game.

But yet he didn't.

So now he, Karen and Brooke were forced to face the harsh reality that they may lose him and for that he couldn't help but feel guilty.

Shifting his gaze from the window to the sofa that rested below it, he set his sight upon the dark haired girl as she slept soundly. She was a lot calmer now then she was the night before but he knew that the second she woke up it was going to start all over again. His brother's girlfriend had gone into full on hysterics when she head all the details of Lucas's condition and seeing her break down only deepened his own pain and left him feeling even more helpless. In fact her reaction was so intense that the young woman had to be sedated before being placed in her current position.

Karen was the next person in his line of vision as she slept in an upright position with the younger girl's head on her lap. Even with her eyes closed she still looked tired and completely worn out. He wished that there was something he could do for her but he doubted it. The only thing that would bring life back to the woman's soul and remove the dark circles from beneath her eyes was the sound of her son's voice along with a clean bill of health from the doctors. But as much as he wanted to make that happened he couldn't. So for now they were going to have to leave that part up to a higher power.

Suddenly feeling the urge to see his brother Nathan quietly made his way over to the nurse's station.

"Excuse me" he spoke in a tired voice to the red head behind the counter.

"Yes dear. How may I help you?"

"My brother is a patient in the ICU unit and I was wondering when I could go back in to see him"

"Now actually" the woman replied with a sympathetic look "visiting hours just started so you can go in to see him any time you'd like"

"Thanks" he said before rushing down the hall to his brother's room.

When he reached the door he paused for a moment and took a deep breath being careful not to bring in any negative energy that his brother may be able to sense. The boy then turned the knob and slowly entered.

"Hey big brother" he said closing the door behind him softly as not to disturb the room's occupant.

But that's when he noticed a figure on the other side of the room and moved over to examine the individual more closely. If it weren't for the jacket he had over his head Nathan would have been able to see the intruders features more clearly but because of this small obstacle he was forced to walk over to the mystery man and remove the identity concealing item.

Plus the idea of some strange man sitting in his brother's room didn't set too well with him. There were just way too many sickos in this world for his liking other wise he would have just thought that it was an orderly that had fallen asleep in a place he felt no one would look for him.

Moving swiftly the young man took away the black leather jacket and instantly stepped back in shock at who he found.


	4. Surprises and Disappoinments

**Chapter 3**

She stood outside the tall cream colored building fighting with her conscious and trying to figure out if she should go inside. Although she wanted to see her best friend desperately she wasn't ready to face his family and the emotional turmoil that surrounding them, not yet. She couldn't look them eye knowing that she was partially to blame for Lucas's current state. She couldn't bring herself to sit there and grieve with Karen, Nathan and Brooke when she knew of his condition the whole time and was fully aware of what could happen to him if his heart chose to give out on him. Seeing her face would only remind them of her betrayal and anger the boy's mother more then the current dilemma already had and upsetting Karen further was not an option. So for now she would have to settle for standing outside and waiting for someone to come out and give her a quick update before heading home where she would grieve alone.

Finding a small bench the girl sat her full weight upon it as her eyes searched the surrounding area for a familiar face yet she found none. She did however notice a boy and girl playing together happily as they ran circles around each other obviously enjoying one another's company, reminding her so much of Luke and herself. A tender smile appeared as she thought back to when the two of them were that age and remembered how things were so simple and easy back then. There were no worries, anger, fear cliques, or medical conditions to think about. There was no problem that ice cream or candy couldn't fix and most of all it was just the two of them. Life was so uncomplicated during that stage of their lives and if given the chance she would give anything to experience it again and have her best friend back without all the issues and ciaos that have become a part of their everyday lives.

The sound of their laughter caused her to giggle as well, something that she hadn't done in two days and it felt good. She just wished that this feeling would last forever but she knew that it won't. In fact nothing will ever be ok again until Lucas received a new heart and decided to awaken and as it stood now there wasn't going to be any laughter in her world for a very long time. Actually things were not only looking bleak as far as her friend's health was concerned but for the state of her marriage as well.

Nathan had flipped out the second he learned that she knew about his brother's condition and given the fact that he had barely forgiven her for leaving him to go on tour only caused him to cut her off completely. The night before had been a painful one indeed and along with the look he had given her and the sharpness of his voice made her wonder if there was even still the slightest chance for them. Even though she was hurt by his words and his anger she still loved him and hoped that he would forgive her in time. But that would have to start with the recovery of his sibling and since that wasn't looking too well she had to find another way to his heart and to make him see how much she loved and needed him and how sorry she was for her part in all this.

"Hi" a small voice called out to her forcing the young woman to break from her thoughts and focus on the source.

Standing before her were the two children she had previously been watching. The boy was a blond with big hazel eyes and a shy grin while the girl was cutesy with long brown peg tails and had her hands placed firmly on her hips, patiently waiting for her to respond. It was funny looking at the two friends. It was almost as if she had been sent back in time to face the younger versions of herself and Lucas.

"Yes" she replied with a smile that longed for the good ole days.

"Can you please tell my soon to be ex-best friend that girls do not like to be called chicks?" the girl politely asked before punching the boy playfully in the arm.

"Hey watch it! Besides my brother said that girls love being called chicks and my brother is always right"

"Oh please you brother's an air head with a pimple face" the girl replied as she folded her arms across her chest.

The scene was just too cute for words.

"Well" she began. "All girls are different. Some like to be called young ladies or young women, some like to be called girl and others…" she trailed off. "Actually like to be called chicks but they're the really flakey kind so they don't count"

The comment earned her a huge smile from the younger version of herself before the girl replied "See most girls with a brain don't like to called chick, see I told you so"

"Whatever" the boy said with a roll of the eyes before slapping the girl on the arm. "It doesn't matter anyway because I just tagged you so you're it…CHICK!" the boy shouted before running off with his friend hot on his trail.

Seeing it, seeing them proved to be too much for the young woman to bare. That life, that world seemed so far away along with the happiness that it held.

At that moment she never felt more alone.

She didn't have her parents, Lucas, Karen or Nathan to save her from the pain she was feeling right now. There was an incredibly large whole in her heart that only two people could fill and with them both so far out of her reach it looked as though nothing was ever going to be alright again.

So she sat there with her face in her hands and her heart full of sorrow and wept for what was, what is and what will never be again.

**Meanwhile in Lucas's hospital room**

"Damn it Nathan, what are you trying to do scare me to death?" the man yelled as he held a hand to his rapidly beating heart.

"Me?" the boy shot back "What about you? You're the one sitting her all mummified like something out of a really bad horror movie"

The man chuckled slightly at the boy's comment before continuing "Gees Nate since when did you become the easily scared and edgy type?"

"Umm let me think about that. Maybe it was after I watched my brother collapse or it could have been when he stared to convulse. I don't really know Keith but you're welcome to take your pick" the boy snapped before quickly asking for forgiveness "Hey listen man I'm sorry I…"

"No it's okay Nate, trust me I understand" sighed the elder Scott. "It must have been pretty tough on you, you know seeing Lucas like that"

"Yeah it's not a night I'd like to remember"

"I can imagine" remarked Keith as he watched Nathan take a seat beside the bed before he returned to a sitting position.

"So when did you get back?"

"About an hour ago, I came back the second I heard about Luke" the blond said as he focused on the boy he helped raise "I can't believe he didn't tell me"

"Yeah join the club"

"I mean Luke has always been so smart and always did the right thing. I just don't understand why he would be dumb enough to put basketball before his own life"

"I must have asked myself that same question a thousand times since it happened. I mean I've been here for almost two whole days and part of me still believes that this is just a nightmare and that I'm going to wake up any minute now"

"I know. Haley must be taking this pretty hard"

"I guess" came the boy's short reply prompting his uncle to continue.

"What do you mean Nate? Haven't you spoken to her? She is after all your wife"

"Yeah a wife who lied to her husband and everyone else about his brother's heart condition"

"What?" the man questioned not quite understanding what his nephew was saying, or rather didn't want to believe them.

"She knew ok. She knew this whole time that Luke was sick and she didn't tell anybody, not even Karen" Nathan said taking a breath as he felt his blood pressure starting to rise.

"You can't be serious Haley would never…"

"But she did Keith. Trust me I didn't want to believe it either but it's true. She knew that Lucas had HCM"

The man wanted to discuss the topic further but chose not to as the boy's mother entered the room.

"Hey there" he said as he rose to his feet to greet her.

"Oh my God Keith, I'm so glad you're here" she replied wrapping her arms around him and holding on to the man tightly.

"So am I. Hey, how are you holding up?"

"As well as can be expected I guess, when did you get here?"

"About an hour ago"

"Good I could really use all the support I can get"

"Hey Karen" interrupted Nathan. "Where's Brooke?" he continued noticing the absence of his brother's girlfriend.

"Oh umm, she's still in the waiting room. She said that she wasn't ready to face Lucas yet"

Nathan was about to reply until he saw his brother's doctor enter the room.

"Hello Ms. Roe, can I talk to you and Nathan for a moment" he said apparently unaware of whom the new comer was.

"Oh I'm sorry doctor Shaw this is Keith, Lucas's uncle"

"A pleasure to meet you doctor" the man said as the pair shook hands.

"I'm afraid I have some bad news" the doctor spoke as the room became painfully silent.

"What…what is it?" questioned the boy's mother as she leaned heavy on her friend for support.

"Luke has just been pushed down on the waiting list"

"What? You can't be serious if he waits any longer he could die. He's already on life support for God's sake" yelled Nathan. He couldn't believe this man. How dare he? How could he hold such total and utter disregard for his brother's life?

"Easy Nate" replied the boy's uncle trying to keep his nephew from saying something that he could later end up regretting.

"I'm afraid that's not all" the man continued. "Your insurance only pays for one week of life support. So in a few days, unless you start paying out of your personal account we're going to have to take Lucas off the machines. I'm sorry"

"Like hell you are!" screamed Nathan as rushed to his feet. "First you tell us you've moved Luke down the list for a heart and now you're telling us that if we don't start paying you thousands of dollars that we don't have that you're going to kill my brother"

"We're not going to kill him…"

"Bullshit! You just stood here and said that you're going to remove him from the machines that are keeping alive. Now I know that I'm not the smartest guy that ever walked the planet but if you're taking away his only means of survival then that means you're going to kill him and there's no way in hell that I'm going to let you do that"

"Nathan please calm down" said a heartbroken Keith as Karen cried in his arms. He didn't know how this was all going to play out but one thing he did know was that he needed to stop his nephew from making a bad situation worse.

"Calm down? Are you for real Keith? This son of a bitch is trying to kill my brother and you want me to calm down?"

"I'm sorry son but…" were the only words the man was able to get out before the taller, younger male landed a hard right hook to his jaw.

"NATHAN!" yelled Keith as he tried to pull his nephew off of the health care professional.

"Security!" the doctor shouted as he quickly stumbled out of the room.

"Screw this I'm out of here" replied Nathan as he made his way out of the door.

"Where are you going?" the boy's uncle called out to him as he hurried down the hallway.

"To save my brother" he screamed back as he headed out the through the double doors with one destination in mind. With one person in mind and for once this person had exactly what he needed.

Money.

That person.

Dan Scott.


	5. What You'll Do For Love

**Chapter Four**

His lungs burned and pleaded for more air as he ran down the halls of Tree Hill Memorial Hospital, trying desperately to think of a way to convince his father to help his brother. He knew it wasn't going to be an easy task given the fact that Dan was still angry with Luke for plotting to expose his illegal activities and trying to send him to prison but despite the odds against him he had to give it a shot. He had to do everything in his power to save his brother, other wise he would never forgive himself and if that meant graveling and begging on bended knee in front of the almighty Dan Scott, then that's exactly what he was going to have to do.

Rushing through the sliding glass doors he hurriedly made his way towards the parking lot. Walking past several rows of vehicles he finally reached his car and stopped only momentarily to withdraw the keys from his pocket. He was about to open the door when a gentle hand grasped his arm, firmly but not rough. It was just enough to capture his attention.

He didn't even have to face the person to know who it was.

"How is he?" she questioned with his back still turned to her.

The voice was soft and delicate, the very same way he always remembered it. It's amazing how the sound of someone's voice can make your knees go weak.

"Not too good I'm afraid" he replied as he slowly turned to face her.

The look in her eyes told him that she was terrified of whatever it was he had to say but they were also full of sadness letting him know that she was missing him just as much as he was missing her.

"Has he gotten worse? What did the doctors say?"

As she spoke he could see the tears fill her gorgeous brown eyes. She looked so heartbroken and fragile in that moment that he was tempted to gather her into his arms and never let go. To tell her that everything was going to be alright and that Lucas was going to be okay…that they were going to be okay. But he couldn't. He was still upset with her for lying to him and even if he wasn't, there was no time for their personal issues.

"His condition hasn't exactly changed but the situation has" he answered.

She cocked her head to the side at his words almost as if the movement was going to ease her confusion.

"What do you mean?"

Nathan sighed heavily before continuing in a somber tone "You won't believe what they're trying to do Hales"

The young woman watched as her estranged husband tightened his grip on the car door and his knuckles turned white. After seeing this action and seeing the angry and scared look in his eyes she knew it couldn't be anything good.

"Nathan please just tell me what's going on. Ok, because I'm starting to freak out"

"They moved him down on the donor list"

The look on her face was one of pure shock.

"What? Why? I mean Luke is in bad shape, they can't do this. Can they?"

"Well obviously they can but they didn't give us any reason why and to be perfectly honest with you I didn't stick around to hear any" he said looking down at the ground as he remembered assaulting his brother's physician. "And unfortunately that's not all"

He watched as she leaned heavily against the car for support, bracing herself for his next bit of information.

"They said that Karen's medical plan only covers one week of life support which means that they aren't going to be paying for it too much longer. And after it runs out we're going to have to pay for it out of pocket and if we can't then…" he trailed off unable to finish as his vision became blurry and a lump formed in his throat.

"They're going to let him die, right?" questioned Haley as tears slid down her cheeks.

Nathan could only nod his head.

She stared into his eyes as she began to shake her head from side to side as if she were trying to wake up from a bad dream.

"No…no, they can't do this Nathan. You can't let them do this. You can't let them kill Lucas"

"Haley listen to me" he spoke calmly while allowing himself to take her hands into his own. "I have no intentions of letting that happen, do you hear me? We won't lose him. I promise" he said finally breaking down and taking her into his arms.

The two then stood there together in silence for a few minutes, both lost in their own grief while praying for a miracle at the same time. Although they were both hurting they were able to find a small amount of comfort in one another's arms.

A short while had passed before the silence was broken.

"What happens now?" she asked with her body still wrapped up in his arms.

"Well I was wondering if you were willing to plan a bank heist with me. We can even wear matching black outfits designed by Brooke"

Haley couldn't help but laugh at this. Nathan smiled back at her with a happiness she hadn't seen in days. But just as suddenly as it appeared the sparkle in his eyes vanished and the troubled, pain filled expression returned.

"Actually there's only one person that has pockets deep enough to help" the boy spoke in a serious tone.

"Nathan?" she questioned with a knowing look in her eyes. "Do you really think that he'll help Lucas after everything that's happened?"

"There are no other options Hales. I know my dad's an ass but I'm hopping that he'll come through for us once he hears how bad the situation is"

"And if he doesn't?"

"Then I'll have no choice but to blackmail him"

"Be serious Nathan" she smiled but that smile faded when she realized that he wasn't joking. She was going to respond when his voice interrupted her.

"I'm dead serious Haley. If he doesn't help Luke then I'm going straight to the media and letting them know what a heartless son of a bitch their mayor is"

He could tell by the look on her face she wasn't happy about this.

"Listen Haley I know you probably don't approve of the whole blackmail thing but…"

"It's okay Nathan" she said now stepping away from him "I know that you're only doing what you feel is right in order to save your brother so you're not going to get any big speech on morality from me"

For some reason her response angered him.

"I should hope not because we both know that when it comes to morality you should be the last one to preach"

"Nathan I…"

"Save it Haley. I wouldn't have to resort to Dan like tactics if you had told me about Luke's heart condition sooner. I would have been able to stop him from playing in that game and our lives wouldn't be so screwed up right now"

The girl was taken aback and completely caught off guard by her husband's sudden change in attitude. She thought that their embrace was part of an unspoken truce of sorts and had brought them back to each other. She thought that just maybe he had decided to forgive her or at least that he understood why she had chosen to keep her best friend's condition a secret but now it looked as though they were right back at square one.

"I made a mistake ok. I promised Luke that I would keep his secret and at the time it seemed like the right thing to do. Now I have said that I was sorry a thousand times and quite frankly Nathan I don't know what to say to you any more. One minute you're holding on to me and telling that everything is going to be okay and the next minute you're back to blaming me for Luke's heart attack. So tell me Nathan, just what the hell do you want from me?"

The dark haired male searched for just the right words to respond with but every time he tried he came up empty. In truth it felt good to talk to Haley and to hold her in his arms like he used to do before all this happened but these two things didn't change the fact that she had lied to him. He had more then enough people in his life who lied to him constantly and on a day to day bases so he didn't need the one person he trusted most in this world doing it too.

"Honesty, Haley. That's all I want from you. I need you to be the one person I can count on to tell me the truth no matter what. No matter how hard it is, how much it hurts, or what you promised someone else"

"Oh like I always come first with you all the time" she snapped back with her arms folded across her chest.

He stood there for a moment, looking at the woman with a stunned expression on his face before turning away and getting into the car. Starting the ignition he turned back to face her "Actually you do Hales. Always have and always will" he said before speeding away as a dejected Haley looked on.

* * *

He collapsed onto the soft leather chair with the receiver still placed firmly in his hand. The nurse on the phone had long since hung up but yet he couldn't bring himself to accept her words as true. He wouldn't allow himself to believe that his son was in any real danger of dying. It was impossible.

However if the woman was in fact telling the truth then that would mean Lucas, his first born son was going to be leaving him and this was unacceptable. No one left Dan Scott.

No one could ever leave him and take a part of him with them. He wouldn't allow it.

If Luke were to die he knew that he wouldn't be able to recover from it. Sure he had always given the boy hell and that's when he even chose to acknowledge his existence but that didn't mean that he didn't care. That he didn't love him with every fiber of his being.

The thought made him angry as he slammed the phone down on its base with such extreme force it almost split the object in half. Springing to his feet he began pacing back and forth as he ran his fingers through his thick dark hair in frustration. He was angry not only with the situation at hand but with himself as well.

He hated himself for being so weak and for letting the younger Scott get the best of him. He had actually allowed himself to cry, shed actual tears at the boy's bedside the night before like some pathetic loser, like his brother Keith.

Keith.

The man that had slept with his wife, an incident that gave him a heart attack, the very some person that was the cause for all oh his problems with Lucas. Before he hatched his master plan to destroy his brother he and Lucas became close but because of the whole Jules debacle the boy decided to work against him and try to bring him down.

_Stupid kid _he thought with a smile. Only a son of his would be smart enough to even attempt something as dangerous as opposing Dan Scott with such skill and finesse. And as much as he hated to admit it, he had actually enjoyed their little game of cat and mouse. Lucas was one clever kid.

His kid.

Now only if he could come up with a way to push him up on the donor list. After all a Scott's rightful place was at the top of anything so he would make damn sure that his son became the hospital's number one priority no matter what he had to do to make it happen.

Suddenly the sound of someone impatiently knocking on his door brought his pacing to a halt.

_Whoever this is better have a damn good reason for disturbing me _he thought as he rushed down the stairs and opened the front door.

He was shocked to see who was on the other side.

"Nathan?" he questioned hesitantly. "What can I do for you?"

He watched as his son lifted his head and looked into his eyes. They were blood red and from this he knew the boy had been crying. It was at that moment he understood why his son was there.

"It's not what you can do for me" he replied in a shaky voice. "It's what you can do for my brother"


	6. What You Won't Do For Love

**Chapter Five: What You Won't Do For Love**

It's funny how life can change in an instant. One minute you're on top of the world with everything you've ever wanted just at your finger tips and the next thing you know you're lying flat on your back with nothing but your own guilt eating away at you. This was the life he had chosen for himself the second he decided to keep his condition a secret and continue to put basketball above his own life.

Even in his current condition he wasn't completely naïve to the fact that it was his own stupidity that put him where he was at this moment. A prisoner of his own body which refused to move, eyes that kept him trapped within the darkness and lips that remained stubbornly sealed tight. The only sense that he was allowed to keep was his hearing.

Some people would consider this to be a blessing. Being able to hear how much their family and friends love and miss them, but not him. If anything he saw it as a curse. Penitence if you will for his selfish actions that led to the tearful prayers of his mother, sister in law and brother. He heard every word they spoke and cried silent tears right along with them, all the while trying desperately to fight his way back, but nothing worked. So he did the only thing he could, he just listened.

His mother tried to make a deal with God on his behalf, promising to be a better person, a better mother if only he would return her son to her and the family that loved him. He wanted to reach out and hold her and tell her that she couldn't improve on something that bore no imperfections. It hurt like hell to listen to her weep and it was something that he would carry with him all the days of his life that was if lived long enough.

Haley had come in and sat with him for a while. At first she was quiet, just holding his hand and listening to the sounds of the machines beeping but after a while she began to sing. Knowing the girl in the way that he did he remembered that she would always sing some crazy show tune whenever she was upset about something so when she started to sing he became painfully aware of what the situation was doing her.

She then started to tell him what her day had been like without watching him play basketball or hearing the sound of his laughter. That he was her best friend and that no matter how the situation turned out she would always love him. It was at this point that the young bride's voice began to crack and she did the one thing that he kept praying she wouldn't. Haley was crying and pouring out her heart to him, begging him to wake up and come back to her. That was before a cold, masculine voice he couldn't recognize interrupted her, telling the girl to leave.

At first he believed that it was a rude doctor or a male nurse but these theories were put to rest the moment Haley called the new comer by name. That's when he realized that it had been Nathan who gave the order.

After a short exchange between the two it was only he and his brother who remained. He was surprised at how open and honest Nathan was being with him. He spoke about their relationship and how it stared. He reminisced about their ups and downs and one on one games (especially the first game that he "allowed" him to win) and everything the two of they went through to become brothers before he went and screwed things up. By HE Nathan didn't mean him, but rather himself. He said that he had overreacted with the Haley and Dan fiascos and that he knew Lucas was just trying to protect him like any good big brother would.

Then the silence that he hated some much returned again. It took him a while to understand what was taking place but when he heard the faint sound of whimpering he became instantly shocked. Never once had he ever heard his little brother cry and now that he had he wished that he never did.

Everything after that was a mixture of grief stricken family members (mainly his mother and brother) and heated words of hate, blame and anguish. First it was Haley verses Nathan followed by Nathan verses Dan with his mother thrown in to play devils advocate.

Then another longer stretch of silence that brought with it a strange yet familiar voice into things. It was the voice of his father.

Next thing he knew his already damaged heart began to beat harder and faster then it should have and he wanted desperately to call out to someone, anyone who could save him from the monster sitting beside him but that would soon change. With no vocal power to cry out with and no use of his limbs the boy listened to what the elder Scott had to say.

The man had gone on to tell him how sorry he was for not being in his life and for keeping such a deadly secret. He continued on stating that he should have stopped him from playing basketball and how much he loved him even if he never actually said the words or acted on them. He listened on in astonishment as his estranged father vowed to bring him back to the land of the living no matter what he had to do and for the first time in the boy's life he actually believed every single word.

From that point on he had slipped into a peaceful slumber but now he was as awake as he could possibly be (although still in a deep sleep as it would appear to the untrained eye) and forced to think about his HMC, apparent heart attack, the suffering of his loved ones and with the walls closing in on him he felt as though he were about to go over the edge and with a bright shinning light coming into view it would seem as if haven's gates were awaiting him.

It was so bright, so beautiful and tempting that he was just about to walk towards the golden rays when a soft voice called out to him.

"Hey there my sweet angel"

He recognized the voice as his mother's, Karen.

"I'm so sorry that it has to end this way. I'm sorry that I couldn't do more for you"

Off her words he stopped heading into the light and turned back to hear her out, he owed her at least that much.

"I'm not sure if you can hear me or not but here goes. You know that I love you more then anything in the world Lucas and I am trying my hardest to keep you with us, but I don't think I can hold on much longer. Neither can you it seems"

She swallowed hard before continuing.

"For starters there was a little girl who needed a heart desperately so they gave it to her and moved you down further on the list"

He could the pain in her voice. It was so real, so vivid he could almost reach out and touch it as if it were a tangible object.

"And with the insurance due to run out in about a week's time it doesn't look like we'll be able to save you" she inhaled sharply "I tried so hard Luke. I called every bank to refinance the house and the café but I couldn't I just…I just don't have the money sweet heart. We've done everything we could Luke, Keith and I. No matter what you have to believe that I would not let you go without a fight"

Hearing this broke his heart in two but in an odd way he felt relieved. If he had chosen to stick around it would have taken his mother years to pay off the debt and it may have cost them everything they own which included his mother's business and their family home. It would have been a disaster and she didn't need any more difficulties as it was, maybe him dying would be a blessing in disguise.

The light was calling to him again and he was ready to take another step when he heard yet another voice.

"Karen"

It was his uncle Keith.

"I'm so sorry I wish…I just wish that there was something I could do to help"

"I know Keith, so do I"

She sounded so lost, so broken that Lucas almost wouldn't forgive himself if he didn't give it once last try. Maybe if he tried hard enough he could wake up long enough to tell his mother that he loved her and that he knows she tried her best if for no other reasons then to give her some sort of closure.

He first tried to move his fingers but they wouldn't budge. Next he decided to try and open his eyes or move his toes but these attempts too failed. He was so frustrated when nothing happened but then again what could he do?

"Ms. Roe" another voice interrupted.

"Yes doctor"

"I don't want to sound uncaring nor do I mean to rush you but we need to know if you have made your decision yet as to whether or not you would like to remove Lucas from the ventilator now or the end of next week?"

"I umm…" she trailed off while trying to choke back tears "I'm still not sure. I'm just hoping…maybe"

"That he'll wake up on his own" the doctor finished for her.

When she nodded her head in response the young man shook his head and sighed.

"Ms. Roe we discussed this. Lucas's heart was damaged beyond repair and without a transplant your son will not be waking up. I know that this is hard to hear but…"

"There are no buts because you will not be laying one single hand on my son"

Everyone in the room turned around to see Dan standing in the doorway with an emotionally drained Nathan.

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me doc. From now on Lucas will be in the care of my physician Dr. Richard Marks and he will be moved to Tree Hill General Hospital in the morning where I will be taking over all of his medical expenses"

Karen had a mixture of apprehension and sheer joy on her face, as did Keith.

"I believe the documentations are on your desk and waiting for your signature" he continued with a smug grin.

No matter what situation Dan found himself in he always loved gaining the upper hand and today was no different.

The doctor instantly left the room in order to confirm Dan's words, leaving only the members of the Scott family behind.

"Thank you so much Dan" began the mother but furrowed her brow the moment the man in question raised his hand to silence her.

"Don't thank me just yet Karen" he said handing her blue and white documents.

"Dan what the hell is this?" questioned Keith.

"Oh my God. This can't be happening"

"Oh but it is"

"What Karen? What are those papers?"

"They're a restraining order against us. This bastard is trying to keep me away from my own child"

"Are you out of your mind Dan?" screamed the boy's uncle.

"No, actually I'm seeing clearly for the first time in my life. You see Karen here is a danger to my son and I have to protect him. Isn't that right Nathan?"

The boy shifted his gaze downward in an attempt to hide his guilt.

"Nathan? You don't believe any of this do you?"

"Yes I do. I know that you love him but I'm sorry Karen, you just can't take care of Lucas right now. You don't have the money"

"Besides, Lucas had a heart attack in your care Karen. How could you not have known that he had HCM?"

"He lied to me! How is that my fault!"

"As his mother you should have doubled checked when he gave you the God damn test results!"

"I should lay you out right where you stand"

"Are you threatening me big brother? If so this leads me to wonder if you've ever laid a hand on Lucas, or Karen for that matter. I mean I've always known that you were white trash but I didn't think you were the domestically violent type"

"Go to hell you son of a bitch!"

"Officers!" shouted Dan as two uniformed cops entered the room. "Would you please escort Ms. Roe and her…friend out of MY son's room?"

"I swear to God Dan I will make you pay for this!"

"Yeah love you to Kar" the man said as he shut the door behind him.

"Oh gees, that was great"

"Did you have to be such an ass Dad!"

The elder man laughed.

"Hee, yeah. Anyway aren't you glad that your brother is going to live? I did save his ass you know"

"Yeah and all you wanted to do in return is for me to help you keep his mother away from him"

"Hey everything comes with a price tag son and you said that you would help me keep Karen and Keith away from Lucas if I helped to save his life. So it's something that you're just going to have to deal with. But let's not focus on that right now, ok. Just sit here with your brother until visiting hours are over while I head back home to finish the rest of the paperwork"

"Whatever" Nathan said waving the older man off as he exited the room.

"Hey man, I'm sorry about this, you know the stuff with your mom and Keith but I didn't know how else to save you"

Hearing this made Lucas angry but not with Nathan, with Dan. He was manipulating Nathan over something he was going to do anyway but what he couldn't understand was why his father didn't want his uncle or mother around him. It wasn't making any sense. It also made him wonder just what Dan really wanted.

With the light in front of him beginning to fade the boy had to make a quick decision. Was he going to stay around, now that his father had given him a better chance at survival or was he going to leave their world and enter the after life?

"Lucas" Nathan spoke. "I have anther confession to make"

At this Lucas became intrigued so once again he found himself turning away from the light.

"I also told Dan that I would end things with Haley and move back into the beach house"

_That son of a bitch! _Lucas thought.

"I know you may not approve of this but it's something I have to do. But don't worry I'm going to let Haley in on it so the second you're better things will go back to normal. Or as normal as things could be with us anyway" he laughed a little.

Hearing this Lucas reluctantly made his way back to the darkness where he would wait until his body was well enough to join the rest of the consciousness world and when he did, Dan Scott was going to pay one hell of a price.

* * *

This was perfect. Everything was working out better then he thought it would and now as he sat in the comfortable leather chair he waited for her to arrive. He knew it would only be a matter of time before she knocked on his door, begging and pleading with him to see their child and once she did he would be one step closer to getting everything he wanted.

It was only by way of pure luck that Nathan had come and asks for his help when he did, giving him the perfect opportunity to destroy his son's marriage to that leach of a wife of his before she could trap him with a kid, like Deb had done to him. His life would have been so much better had she not come into the picture but the past was just that, the past and now Dan Scott was about to get what he deserved (at least what he thought he deserved) and nothing was going to stand in his way.

He smiled to himself just as the door bell rang, sooner then he would have expected but he was happy that she was finally here none the less. He sprang to his feet and walked casually over to the door wearing nothing but his boxer shorts and a white tee shirt. After all he didn't want anything too restricting getting in way. He had waited too long for this.

He opened the door and pretended to surprised to see her there. He felt slightly bad that she was crying but soon she would be grinning from ear to ear and they were going to be living the life that they were always meant to.

"Did you come here alone or is Keith waiting in the wings to take a swing at me?" he questioned. He didn't need his idiot brother getting in the way of things.

"No I came alone" she spoke through tears.

"Dan please, I'm begging you to let me see Lucas. I'm his mother and I should be there for him"

The man wanted to take her right then and there but he would be extremely careful, which meant waiting for just the right moment. He did however notice her looking him up and down, obviously liking what she saw. He grinned, yeah he was hot, besides it's not like he was fifty for God sakes, he was only thirty seven.

"I may be willing to you to do that, but first come in and have a seat"

She walked in without hesitation and sat down on the couch where he took a seat right next to her. Now they were only a few inches apart.

"So Karen what are you willing to do in order to see Lucas?"

"Don't play games with me Dan. Can I see him or not?"

He smiled at the woman and he could that being this close to him made her uneasy.

"Well you have messed up pretty badly Karen. Lucas is in the hospital because of you"

She turned towards him and stared him straight in the eyes.

"How dare you?" she questioned softly. "You know you're not completely innocent in all of this. After he showed me those results it was YOU he lived with for months and YOU didn't know he had it either"

"No, but I trusted that you knew for a FACT that he didn't. You know with you being his only parent at the time. But let's not play the blame game any more. I think it's time we've gotten down to business which at this point in time is whether or not I'm going to allow you to see Lucas"

"So are you going to let me see him? You know as well as I do that Lucas loves me, I'm his mother Dan. I'm all he's ever known and you can't take him away from me. Don't you know that you'll only be hurting him?"

"That may be true but I'm willing to allow you to visit Lucas and you'll be able to do so quiet often"

Her eyes lit up at this.

"However there are two small stipulations"

"Anything"

"Keith cannot go anywhere near him"

Karen nodded reluctantly.

"Secondly you know as Mayor of Tree Hill it doesn't look good that I'm now divorced and single. The voters put me in office because of the fact that I was just like them, that I was a family man" he said giving her a knowing look.

"So what do you want with me Dan?"

"I want you to marry me"

"WHAT! Are you out of your mind? There is no way in hell I'm marrying you" she stood up with lightening quick speed and headed for the door.

Dan quickly caught up and seized hold of her arm, forcing her to turn back and lock eyes with him.

"I guess that I'll be telling Lucas you send your love everyday until he wakes up and that can take weeks, months or even a year or two. Wow he'll be a grown man by the time you see him again, if you ever see him again"

"Don't you threaten him!"

"Oh I wouldn't dream of it. After all he is my son and seeing as how I only want the best for him there is an amazing hospital in Australia that specializes in heart disease. Maybe I should send him there"

"Dan please don't do this. Why don't you just get back with Deb?"

"I don't want Deb. I want you"

Before she had the chance to respond his lips crashed passionately into hers. For a moment she fought hard against him but after a while her struggles subsided and she allowed him to take control.

"So" he said after he broke their kiss. "Do we have a deal or not?"

He was wearing one of his trademark cocky grins and Karen found herself wanting to die. Dan had just too much power and control over the situation for her to do anything but give in and she would forever hate herself for it.

"Yes"

The words came out as a faint whisper but she knew he heard it from the look on his face.

"Good. So what do you say we seal the deal?"

"How?" she knew the answer but she was praying that it was something other then what she was thinking.

"You're not a stupid woman Karen so figure it out"

Her heart sank at his words but knowing that there was nothing she could do, the woman took a deep breath and allowed him to lead her to his bedroom which was soon to be theirs.

**I know it took forever to get an update and I am so sorry for that. However I do have a new webpage that I would like everyone to check out, the link is in my profile so don't be afaraid to stop by and say hello!**


	7. Confliction

**SO SORRY that this update took forever but hopefully my muse will help me out and give me some more ideas so I can write a lot more for you guys. Thank You to everyone who has stuck with me so far and whom are coming back to read and review this chapter. You're the best. Nikki**

**Chapter Six: **Confliction

She never felt so dirty in her entire life. The memory of Dan's hands touching her the night before and earlier this morning made her want to crawl out of her skin and burn it, hoping to never feel the way that she did when kissed and nibbled all over her body. Or at least that's how she wanted to feel.

She hated herself for getting caught up in the moment with that man. She remembered wrapping her legs around his waist, moaning his name and running her hands through his hair, completely giving herself to him without holding back without acting the part of forced victim like she so easily could have. However she would have to keep reminding herself that she was playing a role, acting the part when she was with the man until their son was better and able to function without his father's help.

She now stood in the center of her bedroom just three hours after her rushed "I do" to Dan and was trying to find something to wear. She wanted to go with her usual jeans and tank but Dan would hear nothing of it, telling her that she was Mrs. Scott now and that she had a certain image to up hold. The woman snickered at the irony. At one point she had hope and preyed that she would one day become Mrs. Dan Scott but now that she was, she realized just how foolish and naive childhood fantasy were.

"_Come on Karen believe in what you're saying"_ she scolded herself as imagines of Dan flashed before her eyes.

"_Was he always so skilled? Was he always able to make her scream like that?"_

The raven haired woman shook her head from side to side, wondering just what the hell was going on in that mind of hers. She was so deep in thought that she hadn't realized that she was no longer alone.

"Ok Karen pull it together. You don't have feelings for this man, this is about Lucas and that's it. You are doing this to save your son"

"Karen, what are you talking about?"

The woman practically jumped out of her skin as she spun around to face the intruder.

"Keith, what are you doing here?"

"I just came by to see if you were alright. I actually came by last night to check on you but you weren't here"

"Umm yeah I had to take care of something"

"I understand. So who is he?"

"What, what are you talking about?" said Karen.

She knew that she was acting nervous and a little out of character but she wasn't sure if now was the right time to tell Keith that she had just married his evil brother and slept with him not once but twice.

But damn if it wasn't good.

"The lawyer" Keith's voice said bringing her back to the subject at hand.

"What lawyer?"

"The one that I'm assuming you spent most of the night with to try and regain custody of Lucas" the man said pausing as he took in her rattled state.

"Yeah I…"

"It's okay Karen" the blond said moving to warp his arms around her.

"I promise you that we will get him back and once we do I'm going to kill my little brother for putting you through this"

Karen's heart sank. Here she was with Keith, the man who had loved her ever since she could remember and had loved her and Lucas unconditional for years and all she could think about was Dan the evil bastard who abandoned them.

This wasn't right.

How could she be so cold? How could she not love this man the same way that he loved her?

"Listen" he continued pulling back just enough to look into her eyes.

Seconds later she had no choice but to look away. He loved her so much but yet her heart belonged to the Scott brother who deserved it the least. Or maybe this sudden love for Dan was coming from being lonely for so long. No. Who did she think she was kidding? She never stopped loving that man, not for one minute.

"I'm going to find a way to make things better for both you and Lucas. We won't lose him. I promise"

"Well, well isn't this cozy" another voice interrupted.

Seeing Dan Keith immediately took a protective stance in front of Karen not knowing that he was just seconds away from having his heart broken.

"My brother is sharing a moment with the mother of his nephew, pretending as if the boy and the woman actually belonged to him. You know it would be incredibly touching if it weren't so pathetic" Dan smirked and leaning against the door frame.

"Get the hell out of here Danny before I lay you out like I should have done last night"

"Easy there cowboy I only came here to check on Karen"

"Bullshit! You came here to torture her and dangle Lucas in front of her face"

"Me?" Dan said holding his hand to his heart in mocked astonishment "I would never do such an evil thing Keith. In fact Karen is free to see _our boy _whenever see feels like it"

"What kind of game are you playing Dan? Just last night you served her with an order of protection to keep her away from the boy and now you expect me to believe that you've suddenly grown a heart and decided to let her see the kid? Give me a break"

"Tell me big brother has it been fun playing house" the larger male said now moving closer to where the older Scott stood "Was it fun pretending to be the father Lucas wanted and the lover Karen craved? Was it fun trying to fill the role I left vacant?"

"Go to hell you smug son of a bitch"

"Now, now Keith. No need to bring Mom into this"

"Dan, stop it. Please" cried Karen unable to bare what she knew was about to happen next.

She didn't want to have to listen or watch as Dan delivered the news of their marriage to Keith and shatter the man's heart into a million pieces.

"Ok honey. I'll behave" he smiled at Keith as the man furrowed his brow in confusion.

"You are some piece of work you know that Dan. How can you come in here insult us and then turn around and call Karen, the woman you abandoned by the way, honey? Are you fucking bipolar or something?"

"No more so then you are delusional about your role in Karen and Lucas's life"

"What are you getting at Dan? I've always been there for them. If anything you're the delusional one, not me" Keith said not liking the look in his brother's eyes or Karen's sudden lose of voice.

"Well dear brother as much as Karen and Lucas have enjoyed your services as their confidante and champion those services are no longer required"

"What the hell are you talking about?"

Dan smiled taking Karen by the hand and dragging her to his side.

"What I'm saying dear brother is that Daddy's home and he's taking his rightful place as head of this family which includes the boy you wanted for a son and the woman you dreamed of making your wife" he said shoving Karen's ring finger in his face.

"No this has to be some kind of mistake. Karen" he said turning to the woman who now shielded her face from his.

"This can't be happening, you with Dan? Karen please tell me he's lying. Tell me that this is just some really screwed up plan of his to tare my heart out"

Karen said nothing, deciding to look anywhere but at him.

That's when everything became all too clear.

"How could you do this?"

"Oh please Keith. Did you really think that she would ever love you the way she loved me? Did you ever think that Lucas would accept you as his father over me! This is my family. It always has been. I just let you think they were yours. Now if you don't mind my wife and I need to go be with _our_ son"

The blond looked between the two, letting everything sink in before replying "I hope you know what you just got yourself into because this time you won't have me around to pick up the pieces"

Keith brushed past them both without another word, never once looking back. At that point Karen was forced with a harsh realization of her own, that she would probably never seen Keith Scott again.

**Up Next: Lucas Flat Lines**

** Nathan confronts Haley**


End file.
